China

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Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

Moving about in the city is mostly by taxis; there are a lot of them (60,000 in Beijing) and they are quite inexpensive. The size of the cities makes walking around difficult. The cities are very congested, so it is better to plan and leave early for an appointment. Beijing has 5 metro lines while Shanghai has 9 of them. Magnetic charge cards for the metro are very useful since they can be used to pay taxis also. They can be charged at all the metro station ticket counters and at the local grocery stores. Buses are plenty and cheap, but uncomfortable since they are often jam-packed.
Very important: Keep addresses of places where you want to go written in Chinese since the pronunciation does not often correspond to the transcription in Pinyin.

Maps of urban networks

Maporama
University of Texas Library on line
Mapblast

Transportation from Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car rental
Shanghai-Honggiao (SHA)	16 km / 10 miles	CNY 60-100/25-40 min	CNY 3 / 35-40 min		Available
Beijing-Capital (PEK)	28 km / 17 miles	CNY 135 / 30-40 min	CNY 16 / 45 min		Available

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

Bus: is the primary means of transport between cities.
Train: Generally in good condition although links are usually slow (for example: Canton-Beijing: 36 hours)
Airplane: Domestic companies have a low rate of accidents. The schedules are generally adhered to although the airports have reached their saturation levels.

 

Visit the China Vista website for further advice on the means of transport in China.

Rail companies

Ministry of Railways (website in Chinese)

Airlines

You can consult the list of airlines banned within the EU. Look also the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

The state of the road network, which is rapidly developing, is overall satisfactory on the major roads although they are poorly marked. Driving in China is risky. It is better to rent a car with a driver or to hire a driver if you buy a car.

Find an itinerary

Maporama.com

Different forms of tourism

Historical

Modern China has not quite obliterated ancient China as yet but ancient China is only surviving with difficulty.

Cultural

Museums, temples, etc.

Nature

In the west, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet, Xinjiang, large stretches of land

Religious

Several Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian temples .

Thermal

No spas in the European sense

Beach

The Hainan island, Sanya, the city of Qingdao in the Shandong province.

Winter sports

Not well developed.

Outdoor activities

Few

Shopping

Big department stores and shopping malls are being built all over the country. Western brands are established in the main Chinese cities. Markets such as Xiushui street and the antique market Panjiayuan in Beijing are good places to buy souvenirs.

Tourism organizations

China National Tourist Office (CNTO)
Weather

Health and safety

Health precautions

There is no mandatory vaccination but vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and B, meningococcal disease and poliomyelitis are strongly recommended. In Yunnan and the island of Hainan, as well as in the provinces of Guangxi and Guizhou, vaccination against Japanese encephalitis is advised if you are staying in the countryside.

International hospitals

In big Chinese cities, there are well-equipped international hospitals with adequate medical standards; the doctors are foreigners and Chinese and speak English.
World Clinic
World link
However, in case of serious problems, you are recommended to avoid hospitals in China and get shifted to Hong Kong or Thailand (Bangkok).

For further information on sanitary conditions

Ministry of Health, People's Republic of China
World Health Organization

For further information on safety conditions

Travel advice is provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada.

Time difference and climate

Time and time difference

It is %T:%M %A in Beijing (GMT+8. Officially, a single time, Beijing time for the entire country. However, in the Xinjiang province, there is a lag of two hours with respect to Beijing time (usage). )

Summer time period

No time change in China.